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The last few days have been tough for the Indianapolis Colts. The team was hit hard by injuries to some of their most important players on the offense and they're now scrambling to find new alternatives before the regular season comes up.
As the Colts need to decide who's going to play quarterback until Carson Wentz comes back and how to keep the offensive line solid without Quenton Nelson, their preparation for the 2021 was severely damaged and they'll have to rethink a lot of strategies in order to get ready for the season without losing too much ground to the Tennessee Titans before Wentz and Nelson are back.
What are the three biggest missions for the Colts after their injuries?
#1 - Find their new quarterback
The most important thing to do is decide who's going to replace Wentz. Will the Colts give Jacob Eason a starting gig to see what he can do, or will the team pursue a better veteran option?
Brett Hundley was signed off the street, but you can't discard Indianapolis going for a more seasoned vet - Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, Nick Foles are all interesting options through a trade. Staying put with Eason is a big risk, especially with the tough start to the season that the Colts will face. There's also Sam Ehlinger as a possible option.
Whatever the Colts decide to do, they will be hoping that Wentz can come back as soon as possible. He's the player they traded a high pick to lead the franchise and he's the player they hope to see on the field.
#2 - Stabilize the left side of the offensive line
There's talent all across the board over the Colts offensive line, but the left side has to be a concern for Frank Reich now. Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis' long-time left tackle, retired after the season. Now, with Quenton Nelson out, the downgrade is huge.
Sure, Eric Fisher is a good left tackle and he'll not be a liability to whoever plays quarterback. But without Nelson, their best player, the offensive line loses a lot of stability. If the protection for a backup quarterback is not good enough, the offense will be awful as a whole.
#3 - Survive the start of the schedule
The first portion of the 2021 schedule for the Colts will be brutal. All the first five teams facing Indianapolis posted positive records last season, and they all look positioned to make a playoff run this year as well.
There's a real possibility that the Colts could start the season 0-5 if Wentz isn't back, which would end their season prematurely. They have to find a way to win at least two of those five games, especially because their schedule for the second part of the season gets much easier.
If they can't get through October with at least three wins, a late push for a playoff spot gets almost impossible. Indy has to make sure the damage will be minimal when September comes around.
